Community Corner

Cannon Ball House to Display Letter Written by George Washington

The letter was written while Washington was encamped in Springfield.

It’s a cliché to claim that George Washington slept somewhere. But this weekend, proof will be displayed that not only did Washington sleep in Springfield, he wrote here as well. 

A letter written by Washington shortly before the battle of Springfield will be on display at the this weekend. At the time of the letter’s composition, Washington was camped in Springfield, most likely at the site of the present-day Old Presbyterian Church’s Parish House; the British burned the original structure during the Revolutionary War. 

The letter, written to New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, concerns the structure of the revolutionary army. Washington argues in the letter that the disparate militia groups fighting for the colonies should be under a central command.

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 “What it represents is him placing himself as the military commander and that his command, for the sake of the war, should extend to all forces,” Springfield Historical Society President Margaret Bandrowski said. 

In addition to the letter, a number of historical artifacts related to Jonathan Dayton, the namesake of Springfield’s, will be on display. The first speaker of the fourth and fifth Congress, Dayton was the youngest signer of the Constitution. He was also implicated in Aaron Burr’s alleged conspiracy against America, and faced charges that were later dropped. 

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Dayton’s Masonic Apron will be on display at the house. Katherine Craig, the Curator for New Jersey State Museum of Boxwood Hall, the Elizabeth home once owned by Dayton, will be at the Cannon Ball House also. 

The letter and apron will be on display on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the Cannon Ball House is $5 for adults, $2 for children and a family maximum of $10. For information call 973-376-4784


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